What could i cross with these breeds to get a better meat bird?

[ninjascrub69]

EE
Production Red
Leghorn
BA
Cochin

I know that they will not grow any where near as fast, or as large as a cornishX, or any other broiler.

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Are you meaning crossing among the breeds you already have or breeding another breed with those? Personally I think they best farm fit and highest meat yeilding cross you could do would be to get the cornish cross hens and raise them just like you would a regular chicken and breed them to a nice sized rooster of your choice. I have dont it using RIR and Buff Orp roos before and they grow great and are still really meaty and if my local TSC has the CX chicks again this year I am going to get some and do this again and this time use maybe a Wyandotte, Sussex, or a big stocky production type Dominique rooster that I have on them.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I'm working on crossing Wyandottes with Cornish right now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you mean by "better meat bird"? Fast growth, good feed to meat conversion, good foragers, lots of white meat, or most meat? Does the appearance of the carcass mean anything to you? How important is egg laying to you? I might have some suggestions for a couple of these but I would need to know what is important to you.

Rareroo, are Cornish Crosses normally dominant white? I figure you would probably know, it might have some relevance to this question, and I am just curious.

 

[al6517]

I seriously doubt the OP will get anywhere close to decent meat production with what was listed to work with, all of those birds will be pretty scrawny and lanky regardless of what you cross them with. WTS it really depends on if you'll be happy with a 2-3 lb dressed carcass. Most true meat bird projects are not for the faint of heart and far beyond any backyard chicken fanciers skill level, some of us on here who are really serious are trying now and all of us will tell, it takes time reasearch and tenacity. Good luck though.

AL

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Yes, they are basicly a Silver based Black bird masked by Dominant White so crossing to them does give white chicks with a few black dots and say if you breed a red roo to them, you would get about the same amount of red leakage as you would when breeding a red bird to a black bird.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
x2

The closest you could do with is finding the heaviest Easter Egger rooster you have (I surprisingly once had a 10 lb cockerel) and go from there, but breed with birds that are NOT hatchery based except if they're Cornish X's. Hatcheries are NOT the place to go for stock when looking to breed for dual purpose or meat qualities. . . Even their "dual purpose" breeds like Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes are faar from such purpose anymore.

I'd say either choose with entirely new stock or simply cross out to entirely new stock.

 

[al6517]

Quote:

The closest you could do with is finding the heaviest Easter Egger rooster you have (I surprisingly once had a 10 lb cockerel) and go from there, but breed with birds that are NOT hatchery based except if they're Cornish X's. Hatcheries are NOT the place to go for stock when looking to breed for dual purpose or meat qualities. . . Even their "dual purpose" breeds like Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes are faar from such purpose anymore.

I'd say either choose with entirely new stock or simply cross out to entirely new stock.

Exactly ................... perhaps we could find a T shirt that say's.............. Just say no to Hatchery stock LOL.

AL

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
x2

The closest you could do with is finding the heaviest Easter Egger rooster you have (I surprisingly once had a 10 lb cockerel) and go from there, but breed with birds that are NOT hatchery based except if they're Cornish X's. Hatcheries are NOT the place to go for stock when looking to breed for dual purpose or meat qualities. . . Even their "dual purpose" breeds like Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes are faar from such purpose anymore.

I'd say either choose with entirely new stock or simply cross out to entirely new stock.

x3


And I agree that the EEs tend to be surprisingly heavy packed birds then you would think just by looking at them.

But I agree, I dont think crossing just among the breeds listed would be worth it and you surly wouldnt want the scrawny Leghorns anywhere in the equation for meat birds.

 

[ninjascrub69]

Quote:
I know i wont get much for meat production with these breeds, i just want something thats worth butchering.
I have a project going (kind of going...... the hens stopped laying) for a meat bird that would actually be profitable (Marans X dark cornish X BLRW x red broiler from ideal) , so i know it takes a certain level of skill, and time...... lots of time.